Suicide Prevention Conference

Thank you to those who joined us for our 2019 event. 

2019 Keynote speakers:

Anthony H. Speier, PhD and Richard N. Costa, PsyD, MP
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry

Fourteen years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans becoming the nation’s costliest natural disaster, we have learned valuable lessons about how to survive and even thrive following traumatic events. While increases in mental health problems including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms are well-documented, reports of both short and long-term recovery effects on suicide rates remain inconsistent across studies. This presentation will highlight these struggles and explore possible reasons for the noted discrepancies. Considerations for immediate to long-term recovery efforts will also be highlighted. Communities are forced to adjust to a post-disaster “new normal” with limited resources to address the changing behavioral and emotional needs. Additionally, ways to capitalize on individual and community strengths to promote recovery and foster resilience will also be addressed with an emphasis on post-traumatic growth. Finally, the importance of being mindful to social support, adaptive versus maladaptive coping, as well as tips for self-care will also be emphasized in this presentation.

 

Conference sponsored by Florida State University Panama City, Life Management Center, the SPARE Suicide Prevention Coalition, and Perry & Young.

Additional partners: Angel House Bereavement Center, Bay District Schools, Big Bend Community Based Care, FSU School of Social Work, Gulf Coast State College, Naval Support Activity Center, United Way of Northwest Florida, and more.